RESOURCEful People – Joy (MRC)
“I did construction work for three or four years, but the heavy construction equipment caused me to lose a lot of my hearing. I was referred to Rehabilitation Services, and my counselor there told me about MRC Maintenance Custodial Skills Training.
“At MRC, I learned about different chemicals and types of cleaning solutions. I also learned how to strip and wax floors and operate the buffer, how to go on the Internet to buy cleaning supplies, and how to put my resume on the Internet.
“I had a job offer before I was through with training and have been working with Marsden Building Maintenance since October. They assigned me to PDL Corporation, which is a company that makes pharmaceuticals. They have hundreds of clean rooms that have to be kept sterile. We wear scrubs and hairnets and look like doctors at a hospital. They say I’m a hard worker and a good worker, and they appreciate that I am willing to work on weekends. I think I will be there a long time.
“My co-workers are Somali, Korean, and African American. I am the only Native American, but I get along with everyone. At first, there was a problem because they didn’t know I had a hearing problem. I decided to tell my boss, and he told the other members of the team to be helpful so it wouldn’t be a problem.
“I am grateful for the training I received at MRC. My dream is for my husband and me to own our own home someday, to be able to stay in one place and not have to move.”
